CID to question Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 March 2007, 12:35 GMT]Media reports in Colombo said Mangala Samaraweera, one of the three-sacked ministers by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse in a major cabinet reshuffle last month, is likely to be taken in for questioning regarding an alleged malpractice during his tenure as minister. Mr. Samaraweera was foreign minister when he was dismissed from the cabinet, sources said.

The Sunday Times this week reported quoting CID detectives that Mr Samaraweera is to be questioned soon on allegations made by former directors of a cement factory. CID has already recorded statements of two persons; both are former directors of the cement company regarding the allegation. One of the directors is said to be a parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Party (UNP).

The allegation was the said company had given a donation to an institution based in Matara and the money was not accounted for. The institution was under the control of Mr. Samaraweera, when he was minister, media reports further said.

Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, one of the three-sacked ministers has been remanded on an allegation that he had misused a state vehicle after being dismissed from the cabinet.

Mr Sooriyarachchi with the support of Mr Samaraweera had submitted a motion to the Speaker of the parliament calling him for the appointment of a parliamentary select committee to probe into his allegation that some leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had entered into a secret deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the 2005 presidential election period.